In Iraq, his wish came true. "A sniper bullet killed him, according to Islamic Web sites we checked," said his brother, Bassam, who referred to his brother by the pseudonym he used as a fighter, saying he feared reprisals if the family's real name became public.

Al-Bahar was one of several Saudis who went to Iraq to join in a jihad, or holy war, that attracted hundreds of other Muslims enraged at the U.S.-led invasion of a Muslim country.

Although Saddam Hussein's regime was ousted and most of the volunteers are either dead or back home, the danger to U.S. and British troops from foreign fighters remains, U.S. officials say. Recruitment for jihad in Iraq continues around the region, and one counterterrorism expert warns of an attack like the 1983 bombing that killed 241 Marines in Beirut, Lebanon.

U.S. troops being in another Arab country will likely provide a magnet for anti-American extremist groups, especially Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida. Bin Laden's central grievance has always been the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia since Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

"The anticipated increase of terrorism may actually occur in Iraq rather than around the world," said Jonathan Stevenson, senior fellow for counterrterrorism at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. "A continued U.S. presence can certainly be exploited by the likes of bin Laden."

Hundreds of Arabs traveled to Iraq before and after the war began, drawn by ethnic pride, glossy recruiting pamphlets or passionate pleas from bin Laden.

How many remain is uncertain. But even as surrendering Iraqi soldiers go home, some of the foreigners are still fighting.

Mohsen al-Awajy, a Saudi Islamist lawyer, said a campaign to send more volunteers to Iraq continues despite clampdowns in several countries, including Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has reportedly put dozens of militant clerics under house arrest to prevent recruitment.

Al-Awajy talked to a Saudi imam who said he was trying to recruit would-be suicide bombers and raise money to finance a wave of attacks in a few months.

"His eyes were like flashing weapons when he spoke about jihad," said al-Awajy, who maintains contact with militant Islamic groups.

Over the weekend, U.S. forces in Iraq's western desert stopped a bus with 59 men of military age carrying $650,000 in cash and a letter offering rewards for killing American soldiers.

But former CIA counterterrorism chief Vincent Cannistraro said foreign fighters do not pose a significant military threat to U.S. troops at the moment. "That's not to say that a year from now, depending on the circumstances, you might not get a lot of people doing things," he added.

Stevenson said foreign fighters won't push U.S. troops out of Iraq, but he mentioned the possibility of an attack like the October 1983 bombings in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. Marines and 58 French paratroopers.

What could prove a deterrent for would-be fighters are the stories of many returning volunteers _ tales of being abandoned by Iraqi troops or being shot at by angry Iraqis who didn't want them there.

Salem, a Lebanese volunteer who gave only one name, said Iraqi troops defending the holy city of Najaf and Baghdad left the volunteers to fight on their own. "I decided to return to Lebanon because the time for jihad has not come yet," he said.

Hassan Zeina, another Lebanese, who fought Israeli troops occupying southern Lebanon, said he went to Iraq because he feared Syria and Lebanon would be Washington's next targets. But he had not anticipated what awaited him.

"Baghdad collapsed in two hours, while it took four hours for Saddam Hussein's statue to collapse," Zeina said, his eyes welling with tears.

But for those determined to die, like Yassin al-Bahar, no argument will keep them from jihad. Al-Bahar had previously fought alongside Muslim fighters in Tajikistan, Chechnya and Bosnia, his brother said.

"He didn't belong to any group," said Bassam. "He just wanted to become a martyr, to defend fellow Muslims. I was happy for him.